Kitsune Wabi
by suzkiee
Summary: "Ran-chan... I'll take you far away where they can't hurt you anymore. I'll make that promise with you too..."  GINXRAN R
1. Wabi

**I read the latest Bleach chapter and I was suddenly infatuated with Gin. 3**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. But I do own Gin...  
**

* * *

_I'm sorry..._

_I should have known it was useless. I had lost already; I could feel his reiatsu soar behind me: indignant and bloodthirsty. _

_**This guy…**_

_His blade barely makes a sound as he unsheathes it maliciously._

_**This guy's the boss. **_

_I clench my fist around the hole that damn bastard had made in my hand. Regardless of the futility, I must somehow end all this now. My body tenses as I whirl around._

_**He's the one I have to-…**_

_He comes at me so fast that I barely have a chance to react. A burning, searing pain rips through my chest as a shower of blood speckles the clear blue sky like confetti and splatters heavily across the torn-up concrete. I feel every severed muscle, every ripped vein cry out in anguish and torment as his piercing eyes watch, almost gleefully. _

_He is floating, skimming the ground by mere centimeters as my blood stains his pristine, white haori. He is a vision of glorious terror with his magnificent, blinding wings and blood-glazed blade in hand. His face wears a mask of apathy that is betrayed only by the glint of rage in his cold eyes. _

"_Before Urahara Kisuke, I arrived at the conclusion known as the 'Hougyoku'," he says with an eerily quiet voice. I can do nothing but hatefully glare as he looks down at me. His eyes narrow, intensifying his glower. _

"_However, it ended in failure," he informs me with an underlying tone of disgust beneath his calm voice. However, he continues his explanation serenely, "But according to the experimental data, Urahara Kisuke's Hougyoku was also incomplete." _

_I feel my knees giving in and my vision begins to tilt. I see the Hougyoku nestled in his open chest and a feeling of great desperation, exasperation suddenly grips me. I reach for it and my fingertips graze the hot, smooth surface. I'm so close… just so close…_

_Suddenly, he grips my outstretched hand by my wrist and clenches it with overpowering strength. I feel my bones cracking in protest against the brute force. He lifts his blade and it whistles as it slashes downward through the air. And before I can even scream, I can't feel my arm anymore… Instead, the same searing pain I feel across my chest ignites where my shoulder used to be as I watch him discard my arm with a stoic expression on his face. His blade thrusts forward and this time, the burning agony impales my heart _

"—_Fear is necessary for evolution: the fear that one could be annihilated at any moment." My heart struggles to beat. It clenches at the cold steel in desperate, erratic spasms. The ground slips away from under my feet. I know I'm falling, yet I am motionless, suspended in the air by the torment and my own humiliation._

"_Thank you," he says with a voice void of any hint of gratitude. With a quiet thud my body hits the ground. _

"_Gin…" his voice a quiet tone of coldness as frigid as an Arctic gale that mocks me, jeers at my last effort to defeat him. "Thanks to your efforts, I have finally risen to an existence that surpasses both Shinigami and Hollow." _

_**Thank you, Gin…**_

_Thank me? Yes… _

_**I've decided. I'm going to become a Shinigami. Become a Shinigami and change things so that they will end without Rangiku having to cry….**_

_My promise… my promise to protect her… to redeem her dignity… to exact revenge upon the monsters that tarnished her… I…I couldn't keep that promise…_

_**Thank you, Gin… Gin…Gin….**_

"_GIN!"_

_

* * *

_**I'm writing the next chapter right now. :)**

**stay in tune...**

**and please R&R!  
**


	2. Yaksoku

**The second installment of Kitsune Wabi. :)**

**I hope you guys are enjoying it.**

* * *

"Ichimaru Gin. Nice to meet 'ya."

She stared up blankly with her strawberry-blonde locks tumbling across her face in a mess of fluffy curls. There were dark circles under her pastel blue eyes that made her thin, pointed face look even slimmer. She wore a thin tattered robe as she lay across the dirt path, battered and broken.

"Gin…" she whispered, her lips barely moving. Her cloudy eyes, void of all emotion, surveyed my face. "What a funny a name…" She coughed weakly, her body trembling and shivering from the cold wind. I knelt down quietly and placed my small pile of dried persimmons on the ground next to me. Slowly and gently, I slid my hand behind her neck and down her back and propped her up, placing my hand on the small of her back to support her. She whimpered meekly and shuddered at my touch. I could feel her back sucking away the warmth from my fingertips.

"Here," I said, poking her soft, pallid lips with a sticky persimmon. "Ya gotta eat something."

She obliged, parting her mouth slightly and taking a tentative bite from the squishy dried fruit. She closed her eyes and chewed, slowly and painfully.

"Ya got a name?"

She opened her eyes cautiously before murmuring, "Rangiku…Matsumoto Rangiku…"

I smiled encouragingly as she took another small bite. "Tasty, right?" She nodded as she swallowed hard.

"Tasty…" she repeated in an almost automated voice. "Tasty…." I nodded and smiled wider as she took another bite but this a time a bit more ravenously.

But the smile fell from my face as I noticed a quiet stream of tears falling down her face, glazing her cheeks. She started to weep quietly, the painful humiliation and the loss of her innocence dawning upon her. And she lay in my arms: her body ruined and her heart broken.

And as her inaudible tears turned into pitiful wails, I felt a murderous rage flare inside of me.

_That guy… He did this to her, _I thought angrily, as I watched her trembling hands reach out and grip the front of my shirt. She curled herself into me, resting her forehead against my chest. She clung to me helplessly, like a newborn baby would to its mother. And I could do nothing but smile sympathetically.

"There, there, Ran-chan. Stop your crying," the gentle tone of my voice did little to calm her down. "I'll make it all better… I promise."

With that, I hooked my other arm under her legs and hoisted her up. She cried the whole way home.

* * *

My place in Rukongai was nothing special. I'd manage to get a good room for a bag of gunpowder and an old necklace made of gold I had found years ago. It was a small modest little room with four corners and a dirt floor covered in tattered tatami mats that I found in the trash. There was a small wooden box in the corner that I used to store things. I pushed it aside with my foot and set Rangiku down on the quilt blanket in the middle of the room. She sat in a daze, staring blankly at the dirty wall. I bustled around, straightening out the mats and lighting the small candles that lined the wall. The dark, windowless room flooded with a dim light.

"I know it's not much, but my home is your home," I said as I knelt back down by the box and opened it. "I think ya'll like it here. It might get might getta little cold during the winter… "

I rummaged through the box, chucking wilted flowers and two spare shirts out of the way. "But ya'll never hafta worry about being hot in the summer. The dirt floor will keep us nice and cool… Ah!" I exclaimed as I pulled out a folded creamy pink sash made of silk.

"I found it, Ran-chan," I announced, a big grin plastered on my face. Rangiku made no sign of hearing me. I might as well have been talking to the wall. I threw everything else back in and closed the lid on the box before shuffling back over Rangiku. Plopping down behind her, I began to unfold the sash.

"This used to be my mother's. It's the only proof that she existed," I explained to her back as I pulled a small jade comb out from the silk. It gleamed brightly in the muted candle-light, sparkling green. I held it up in front of my face.

"I stole this from my father the night I ran away."

I ran my fingers down the teeth of the comb causing a rippling effect as each tooth snapped back into place. I gently grabbed a fistful of Rangiku's soft curls. She flinched slightly but did not move away which I assumed was her granting me permission to continue. I placed the comb into the mass of her hair and pulled tenderly.

"I know it's wrong to steal but it was also wrong of my father to treat her that way. He didn't understand that the way he touched her hurt her… So when she killed her, I decided to take her far away from father so that she would never be hurt again. I made a promise to her spirit that night when I took her comb and her sash; I promised her that I would restore her innocence."

And I combed her hair silently the rest of the night as she watched the shadow of the candles' flame dance across the wall. I combed until every knot and tangle was smoothed out and the dirt caked on her scalp was scraped off. I washed her dirty feet and wiped the dirt off her face. I cleaned her up as much as I could. As much as I could see. As much as I could reach.

And she allowed me to clean her, in a grateful silence. But even still, I knew I could not clean her up completely. She had been dirtied somewhere that I could not see and could never reach…

"Ran-chan… I'll take you far away where they can't hurt you anymore. I'll make that promise with you too…"

* * *

**Yeah... **

**Next chapter up soon! I promiseee :)**

**Please R&R! I really wanna hear what you think of it!  
**


	3. Waraku

**Third chapter! I'm uploading on my birthday!  
**

**There's been such a huge boom of Gin fans since the latest chapters..**

**I'm really excited to see how it turns out. :)**

**Anywaysss, enjoy~~~3  
**

* * *

"_I killed her."_

_A heavy silence falls as Aizen surveys me, his eyes, in every way, scrutinizing. I smile hollowly as he seeks her reitasu, doubtful of my confident claims. _

"_Indeed… Her reiatsu has disappeared," he concludes after a deep moment of silence. "I am surprised. I imagined you carried a bit more emotion towards that one."_He tilts his head to the side, his eyes regarding me with a glint of curiosity.

_I laugh._

"_Emotions? Nope I've got nothin' like that. I told you when we first met didn't I?"_

_I stroll up to face him, my incessant smile plastered on my face. " I am a fox," I announce. "A cold heart. A desire to manipulate others for my own use. I look out only for myself. I sneak around, devouring things that look tasty. I care for nothing."_

_Aizen watches me as I speak. I close in on him._

"_That's the kind of creature I am… Isn't that what I told you?"_

_

* * *

_

When I returned home that morning, I was pleasantly surprised to find Rangiku waiting earnestly by the door for me.

"Morning, Ran-chan! Did'ya sleep alright?" I asked cheerfully as I closed the door behind me. She blinked.

"Where did you go, Gin?" she asked, completely ignoring my question. I felt myself squirming under her intense gaze.

"Not important," I said, brushing off the interrogation with a wave of my hand. I glanced down at the box set in the middle of the room.

"Guess you didn't eat anythin' even though I told ya to…" I sighed as I noticed the untouched plate of cold rice balls placed on the surface of the box. She followed my gaze and crawled over to the plate, picking up two of the rice balls. She held one out for me and I took it, grinning widely.

"Ah… You were waitin' for me." I gratefully accepted the little ball and bit into it generously. Rangiku followed suit, chewing delicately. I watched her quietly. She had recovered marvelously and transformed into a completely different person over the past few days. Her once pallid complexion was now rosy with a slight glow under the sunlight. Her lifeless eyes now sparkled with interest when I brought home little flowers for her. The luster and shine had returned to her strawberry-blonde locks and she was also becoming much stronger physically. Her personality had recuperated as well. Rangiku proved to be a sassy, stubborn girl.

"Gin," she said as she reached for another rice ball. "How come I can never go with you outside?" She looked cute, with her head tilted to the side. Curiosity made her eyes glitter as she gazed steadily at my smiling face, unaware of the little piece of rice stuck to her cheek.

"Ran-chan is so silly,"I chuckled and picked the rice off her face.

She blushed and her eyes flashed with annoyance, "Stop avoiding the question!"

I laughed loudly as she crossed her arms angrily, her eyebrows furrowing in disapproval.

"Gin!" she shouted crossly, smacking my arm with a surprising strength. I fell sideways from her brute force and landed heavily on my elbows.

"Hey, come on! That wasn't nice," I chided, a rare scowl flitting across my face.

"You're being mean," she frowned as she childishly turned her back on me. "You always leave and you never tell me where you go…"

Matsumoto Rangiku sure had learned how to get her way around here over the past few days...

And she had also learned to smile.

"Rangiku…"

"What?" she asked tersely, refusing to turn around.

"YOU'RE OPEN!" I roared as I sprang up from the ground and tackled her to the mat. She thrashed around, shrieking with laughter, as I tickled her sides furiously.

"Hee hee hee! G-gin! Stop! My s-sides hurt," she moaned as she rolled out from under my fingertips, smiling, laughing. She turned onto her side, facing me. I smirked and sprawled out next to her, my gaze fixed on the moldy ceiling.

She giggled and I burst into laughter.

"Hey," I said when we finally quieted down. I turned my head to face her.

"Next time…Next time I'll take ya with me."

Rangiku's eyes widened in surprise and her smile widened slowly.

"Really? You promise," she whispered excitedly. I smiled and reached my hand over to hers. It was warm and inviting and open. I hooked my pinky around hers and touched the head of our thumbs together.

"There. I even stamped it for ya."

And we laid there for a blissful moment, fingers entwined with happy smiles lighting up our faces.

"Oh," I said, sitting up in my spot. I slipped my hand into my pockets and pulled out a brown drawstring pouch. I tossed it over to Rangiku, who caught it in her hands and opened it. Inside was a deck of cards. She pulled them out and fanned them out in her hands, surveying them with a bemused expression on her face.

"What… are these?" she mumbled, touching each card gingerly. Laughing, I held my hand out.

"Give 'em here and I'll teach ya how to play."

The rest of day was a blur; we played cards until the sun set, betting, arguing and giggling. she won the last dried persimmon we had left while I won several bruises on my arms for trying to cheat. The night wore on and it wasn't until Rangiku began to rub her eyes sleepily when we decided to turn in for the night.

"Aww, tired already?" I teased. Rangiku answered by lazily swatting her hand at me but missed. I laughed and got myself busy setting out the quilts.

"Here," I motioned, patting the little pillow. "Come lie down, ya grumpy 'lil girl." She obeyed and collapsed on the blanket with a sigh. She snuggled her head into the pillow as I pulled the blanket over her shoulders.

"Goodnight, Gin."

I smiled as she yawned loudly and closed her clear blue eyes. I stroked her hair as she fell asleep.

"'Night, Ran-chan."

She looked so peaceful, content. A small smile bloomed across her face as she turned over. I tucked the blankets tightly around her so that she wouldn't get cold while I was gone. I pulled a spare cloak out of the box and headed towards the door. A chilly gust of wind greeted me as I yanked the wooden knob and stepped outside. I stopped in the doorway and looked back at Rangiku.

"'Night…"

The door shut, tightly behind me.

* * *

**So yeah... Next coming up soon. :)**

**if you're following, please R&R!**

**I really wanna know what you guys think! Thanks!  
**


	4. Nigeru

**I hope you guys enjoy reading my story as much as I enjoy writing it. :)**

**Now I present to you: The 4th Installment.  
**

* * *

For a late fall night, the wind was awfully cold. It howled woefully and bitterly, clawing at my cloak. That was the problem with Rukongai: bad weather was so impatient. I clutched my cloak tightly as I ran out onto the dirt road, battling through the wailing wind.

The streets were eerily empty, save for the occasional drunk men who staggered through the wind as they crashed their way through trash cans, lamenting their dismal existence. They paid no attention to me as they sang loudly and off-key, their bodies flung around the road by the wind like rag dolls. I trudged past them, a shadow under the moonless sky.

When the road led me to the town square I took a right and ducked into the woods beside town. It was an old forest with trees that lived even longer than the revered Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13. It was a daunting and frightening place at night, but I'd been there enough times to know my way through. I wrestled through low branches and hopped nimbly over thickets of roots until I came across a small clearing where the moonlight broke through a gap between the trees.

I walked casually through the knee-high grass towards a large run-down dojo. I rapped the door sharply with my knuckle and backed up. A small hole in the door revealed a menacing black eye that inspected me head to smile to toe.

"Evenin', Non-san," I greeted, smiling widely. Burly but subservient to Botta-san, Non was always the one checking the door.

"Oh… It's just you, brat," he replied in a gruff grisly voice. His eyes vanished from the hole as I heard the chains and locks on the other side unbolt and the door creaked open, revealing a small group of tough, deleterious men scattered across the room. Several of them stood against the wall glowering at me as I shuffled inside. Others completely ignored me and went on picking the dead skin off their feet or scratching their grimy bodies. I crinkled my nose from the pungent smell of sweat and filth as Non slammed the door shut behind me and leaned nonchalantly against it.

"Boss ain't in tonight?" I wondered aloud, scanning the room with a slight frown on my face. Non grunted and spit on the floor.

"He's in alright. He's just speakin' a 'lil to the new guy," he answered as he rubbed his saliva across the cracked wooden floor with his foot. Even though I felt my insides turn in disgust, I smiled as I turned around to face him.

"New guy?" I inquired.

And as if to answer me, I heard the door at the other end of the room slide open. And when Botta stepped into the room, all the men jumped out of their spots and straightened up.

"GOOD EVENING, BOSS."

They all hustled into a line and every head in the room, except for mine, bowed hastily to the man. I smiled when his beady eyes narrowed into a furious glare as they landed on my unbent head.

Feeling presumptuous, I gave him an audacious wave.

"Heya, Boss. I'm here ta pay my dues."

Botta's face darkened as he waved his hand to dismiss the men and sat his plump body down on the cushion in the middle of the room. He struggled to cross his thick legs in a bow and frowned deeply.

"Geh… You again? I told you not to come back empty-haneded," he snapped, his neck fat wobbling in agitation.

"My, my, Boss. Best keep yer temper in check. Gotta remember yer high blood pressure," I chuckled as I watched him glower at me.

"Watch your mouth, yokai brat," he growled menacingly. "Or I make sure you won't be able to walk ever aga-…" He stopped abruptly when he heard a quiet cough behind him. A painfully thin stepped through the open doorway from behind Botta. He was dressed in a black Shingami outfit with a katana strapped to his right hip. His posture was terrible. Everything about him seemed to sag. His expression, his long face, his hair and even his sword. His shoulders drooped forward and he could barely keep his baggy eyes open; it seemed his eyelids were too heavy. His shaggy, greasy hair fell straight around his face like a ragged mop head. I doubled back, my eyes widening in shock.

_Wait a minute... This guy was…_

"I apologize for interrupting but, with all due respect, I must return to my post," he said in a voice with enough oil to fry a chicken. Botta seemed just as surprised as I was, having forgotten the man was behind him. He cleared his throat and sat up.

"Ah, yes. You may leave, Shibou. Thank you for dropping by," he muttered. The man named Shibou bowed respectfully before strolling past Botta towards the door. He stopped beside me and I felt my body become rigid as he looked me over with a sideways glance. My palms became sweaty and an insane rage flared inside me. I forced myself to return his gaze. He squinted his eyes (as much as his baggy eyes allowed) as I stared up at him. I felt the fury inside me building.

_This man… He was with that bastard… _

"Oi, yokai brat!" Botta's rough voice snapped me out of my irate mind. "Have you no manners? Stop staring."

I smiled. Hard.

"My deepest apologies, Shibou-san. Seems like I was in yer way." Shibou knit his eyebrows, completely bemused as I moved off to the side. He finally tore his gaze away from me and walked out the door that Non was holding open for him. My eyes followed his retreating back until the door shut close.

"So, you really came her empty-handed?" Botta questioned as he pulled a cigar out of his sleeves. "Light it." He motioned to the closest thug who immediately sprang up from his place and rushed back with a candle. I watched him suck and puff on the smoke.

_Pitiful, disgustingly fat man…_

" 'Course not, Boss. Ya think I'm stupid or somethin'?"

I pulled my tattered drawstring pouch out from under my cloak.

"Stole this from the noble's house," I said as I chucked the bag into his open hands. He grunted as he switched the cigar over to the other side of his mouth and poured out the contents of the little bag. Four golden rings, each adorned with a small jewel tumbled out onto the ground. Botta nodded approvingly, marveling at the sight of the jewelry.

"These are the Rings of Heart. You stole this from the Kuchiki household?" he asked, his eyes glued to the rings. I nodded.

"Love, Memory, Faith, Happiness," he whispered as he ran his hands over the rings, touching each one delicately as he named them. Then, he suddenly looked up at me quizzically. "But where is the fifth one? The Ring of Purity?"

I smiled slyly and pulled my sleeve down over my left hand.

"No idea, Boss. I musta dropped it somewhere," I shrugged. Botta gazed up at me, mulling over whether to believe me or not. I felt my insides quiver but kept a light smile on my face. He frowned slightly then looked back down at the rings.

"Hmph…"

My innards sighed.

"So, Boss. Where's my pay?"

Botta glared up at me again, and he turned his fat head towards Non who got up and walked out of the room. He returned with a small sack of bread, potatoes and matches and tossed it to me. I tucked the sack under my cloak and tied it to my belt.

"Take it and leave," Botta growled, picking up the rings. I bowed as he tried to fit them onto his fat sausage-like fingers and opened the door for myself. The wind greeted me with a yowl. I closed door slowly behind me and quickly ducked under the window. With my back against the building, I could still here their voices through the thin wall.

"…kill him. And bring back that ring on his left hand."

The door flung open and about ten well-built men came scrambling out. I quickly jumped up from my spot and darted towards the forest. Unfortunately, one of them spotted me.

"There he is!" he yelled, pointing in the direction of my back. I tumbled through the forest, keeping my arms around my stomach to protect the sack of food. They were hot on my trail and I could hear them hacking through the branches. I rolled out from under a low branch and quickly flitted down the dirt path. I heard angry voices behind me as they struggled free of the forest. They shouted, cursed and thundered down after me.

Panic and exhilaration coursing through my veins, I took a sharp turn to the right and headed towards a small shack. Upon reaching it, I hopped lightly onto the barrel propped against the wall and then onto the roof of the shack. The wind was stronger up here and it bit at my face.

I took careful steps across the cracked tiles. A strong gale suddenly slammed into me and I was forced to flatten myself against the roof to palliate the force of the wind. I started to crawl towards the edge, knuckles turning white from the pressure of keeping my body attached to the building. The wind buffeted my face, barely giving me a chance to breathe and it knocked me over the edge.

As I tumbled to the ground, I braced myself for impact. And boy, did it hurt! I fell flat onto the ground of an alleyway, the wind knocked completely out of me.

"I heard something… This way!"

I struggled to get up but it was useless; my body was exhausted.

_Luck better be on my friggin' side today…._

I suddenly started as something small, warm and wet licked my face. I turned my head to the side to see a little fox kit sitting besides my face. It looked as if it were smiling.

"Eh? A fox?" I mouthed.

"Meww…" he squeaked. I started and grabbed at the fox, holding it tightly against my body with one hand and clamping its mouth shut with the other.

"Oi! Keep it down, Kitsune-chan," I hissed. He just grinned back at me. I scowled at him as I heard hurried footsteps approaching the corner. I watched the opening of the alleyway earnestly, embracing myself for the pain that would follow once they discovered me...

But by miracle, the footsteps moved past the alleyway and farther down the dirt road. I let a sigh of relief escape my lips as I released the little fox kit and pushed myself slowly off the ground.

"Ehhh… What a chase…" I groaned as I rolled my head around my shoulders, stretching my neck. I quickly checked the sack to see if everything was intact. Everything seemed fine, although one of the potatoes did split in half.

I dusted my shirt off and a small glint of gold caught my eye. A thin golden band circled my left ring finger. I held my hand out and examined the ring.

"Pretty 'lil thing, aren't ya?"

"Meww," the fox kit squeaked. I looked down in surprise.

"Hey, you ain't goin' home, 'lil fella?" He just grinned back at me, his pink tongue lolling out of his mouth. I raised my eyebrow at him but then broke into a smile.

"I guess I owe ya. Ya stayed quiet fer me," I walked towards the opening of the alleyway and poked my head out cautiously. Making sure no one was there, I turned back around to face the kit.

"If ya don't have anywhere else to go, I guess ya can come home with me," I mirrored his silly smile and picked him up. Tucking him under my armpit, I stepped out of the alleyway and ran down the dirt path.

"Let's go, Kitsune-chan," I said to him. "Rangiku's gonna wake up soon…"

* * *

**Uhh yeahhh...**

**So please R&R! I REALLY WANNA KNOW WHAT YOU GUYS THINK!**

**and thank you to those who already follow and leave reviews for me!**

**they seriously make my day 3**

**next update is very soon :)  
**


	5. Imo

**Here's Chapter 5 :)**

**Note: If my sources are correct Amaboshi means dried persimmon. :D**

* * *

The sun was already starting to peek out from the horizon by the time I reached home. The little shack looked so welcoming, glowing gold as the sun's first rays stretched across its white surface. I dragged my exhausted feet towards the door, my shoulders sagging under the weight of the sack of goods and the little fox. I slid the door open quietly, praying silently to God that Rangiku was still asleep.

The room smelled of the smoldering candles I had left burning last night. I wrinkled my nose at the smell as the little fox squirmed out of my arms and jumped lightly onto the floor. I set the sack down on the ground and leaned against the wall. The exhaustion from last night's escapade and fatigue from lack of sleep caught up with me as I slid down to the wall into a sitting position. Sighing, I rested my head against the wall as I watched the fox kit prance about the room, exploring its new home.

He searched every corner, his little tail swinging happily from side to side like a broom. I smiled as he came upon the sleeping Rangiku. She was still curled snugly under the blankets, her hair carpeting the mats. Her pillow was in wrapped in her arms instead of under her head. She must have been having a good dream because she smiled and sighed happily.

The kit sniffed at her face curiously, tilting its head inquisitively. He circled around her sleeping body, poking his nose everywhere and bit at her hair, chewing on it briefly before spitting it back out. Rangiku turned in her sleep, giggling as he lapped at the bottom of her foot. He came back up to her face and stared at her smile, intrigued. He turned his head back towards me and smiled.

I barely had the energy to smile back. My lips trembled as I grinned weakly. My eyelids were beginning to feel heavy. I sighed and close my eyes.

I didn't realize that I had fallen asleep until a mischievous paw swatted my face and jolted me out of my slumber. I blinked to rid my eyes of the blurriness and looked up to find both the fox and Rangiku snickering.

"Heh… Mornin' there, Ran-chan," I mumbled through a big yawn. I rubbed my bleary eyes as she smiled brightly.

"It's already past lunchtime, sleepyhead!" she teased as plopped down across from me and pushed a plate of whole roasted potatoes into my hands. Dread spread through my body. "Eat!"

I accepted the plate reluctantly and balanced it on my lap. I picked a spud off the plate and examined it. The potatoes were completely burnt on the outside and smelled strongly of fish. It was cold and slightly damp. I peeled the skin and a thick layer of burnt potato flesh slithered off with it, leaving behind only a small lump of edible food. I held it up by my mouth and gulped, hesitant to take a bite. Rangiku was watching me avidly.

"Take a bite! Take a bite!" she encouraged. I looked warily from the potato to her.

"Eh… what about you?"

Rangiku shook her head.

"No, no. Me and Boshi-kun already had some before."

"Boshi-kun? Who's that?"

"Oh! This little guy here," she said, petting the top of the kit's head. He mewed lightly and wiggled out of her arms. "I was talking to him while you were asleep and we're friends now. I named him Amaboshi because he's the same color as dried persimmons! We can call him Boshi for short."

Boshi-kun, who had now curled up next to me, mewed approvingly. Rangiku and I laughed.

"Well, I'm glad ya two are getting' along."

"Uh-huh! And Gin, eat the potato," Rangiku demanded as she caught me sniffing cautiously at the lump in my hand. "I made it myself," she exclaimed, puffing up with pride.

I inwardly flinched. The last time Rangiku "made food herself" I ended up with the runs for a week… I wasn't so very keen on getting full-blown diarrhea or throwing up my innards but she was staring at me so expectantly with those pretty, pleading eyes….

I sighed and complied with her wishes by taking a small, delicate bite of the potato. It rolled across my tongue and I started to chew slowly. Rangiku watched me earnestly, bobbing her head at every chew. Suddenly, my mouth froze and my body became rigid.

"So…. H-how is it?"

_How is it?This girl's tryin' ta kill me… It's the most rancid, vile, disgustin' thing I've ever put in my mouth…. Is this really a potato? It feels like sand rippin' up my tongue…. And what's with this insane saltiness? It's suckin' all the moisture out of my body… I can't swallow it._

"How...ACK!" I coughed violently as sandy bits of potato rattled down my throat. I pounded my chest until the strange burning sensation went away. "How exactly didja make this?" I asked, my eyes watery.

"Oh! Umm… Boshi-kun helped me find an open furnace behind the public bathhouse and when the man outside wasn't looking, I threw the potatoes in so that they could cook," she explained animatedly.

"I wasn't planning on leaving them in too long but I couldn't take them out because the guy wouldn't leave. So I had Boshi distract him by biting his ankle and leading him away from the furnace. When they were gone, I took them out and they were kinda black…"She glanced down at the pile of burned skin on the plate and gave me a slightly apologetic look.

"I went looking for Boshi and I found him by the beach. Then I had a great idea! Potatoes taste better with salt and the ocean is full of it right? So I filled a bucket with water and soaked the potatoes in there for a bit!"

_Well tha' must explain why this taste like whale shit…_

She must have caught the cross look on my face because the smile fell from her face and she suddenly looked dejected. Slumping forward, she sighed and looked sadly at the floor.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled, her head hanging sadly. "I guess it was a failure…"

I felt an intense pang of guilt wrack my conscience and I instantly regretted thinking such mean thoughts.

"Eh? No, Ran-chan! It's uh… delicious…" I hurriedly reassured her with a big smile and another bite of the vile lump. She looked up at me skeptically.

"Uh… really! Ya made it taste pretty good."

Rangiku frowned and shook her head and removed the lump of potato out of my hand.

"Liar," she accused. "You're lying to me."

I sat there stumped, the smile still lingering uncertainly on my face. How did she know? She noticed my bemused look and smiled kindly.

"You can tell me the truth, Gin. I know I'm no good at cooking…"

She glanced up at me before removing the plate from my lap. I stood up as she dragged herself miserably towards the door to dump the plate outside. The feeling of guilt returned again and I felt terrible for ruining her mood.

"Ran-chan," I called out. She turned around, one hand on the knob. I strolled up to her and gently pulled the plate of potatoes out of her hands. She blinked questioningly as I set the plate on the ground and placed my hand on hers.

"How 'bout you and I go out today?"

I grinned as I saw her entire face light up making her eyes sparkle and her cheeks glow pink. A wide smiled stretched across her face, revealing her pretty teeth.

"Really? You mean it, Gin?"

I nodded.

"Yahoo! You hear that Boshi-kun? We're going out! We're going out!" she yelled as she jumped up and down in place. Boshi grinned and darted around our feet, wiggling his rear excitedly. She ran out the door laughing and chattering with the little fox kit. Her bouncing hair looked like sunshine rolling down her shoulders as she twirled around and around.

"C'mon, Gin! Let's go!"

I nodded and walked out the door. Rangiku ran up and grabbed my hand, tugging at me as Boshi followed suit, pawing at my sandal. I glanced behind me at the open door and spotted the forgotten plate of potatoes. A smile tugged the corners of my lips as I pulled the door closed with my free hand.

* * *

**I didn't entirely like how this chapter turned out...**

**I was really impatient to get on to the next one so I had to trudge through this one. LOL**

**The next one will be better. I promise :)  
**

**Like always R&R!  
**


End file.
